RPGCast – Episode 511: “Tit For Tat”

QotW: No.

I’ve finished my JRPG July pick of The Legend of the Dragoon, and my final takeaway is “flawed, fun, and memorable, but only play it if you’re fine with quick-time events”.

The turn-based combat revolves around being able to perform “Additions”, which are brief quick-time events for almost every non-magical attack – failing the Addition makes the attack do less damage, and by the endgame the bosses tend to have tons of HP. Performing Additions is so important that it can be more effective to rely on the weaker, simpler Additions that are easier to execute.

The game’s most notable flaws are its long load times, and its striking lack of combat options – it’s pretty much “learn Additions or bust”. On the positive side, the Additions do give the player something to focus on and make combat more interesting.

The story is very heavily JRPG/anime-style; it’s got a few notable surprises that may or may not catch the player unaware.

Overall, I can see why some gamers would dislike The Legend of the Dragoon, but I can also see why it has a cult following. I’m definitely glad I played it, and I should have given it more of a chance almost 20 years ago, when I tried it the first time and shelved it out of frustration over the quick-time-event Additions.